Airtel Nigeria has extended its national retail footprint with the rollout of 350 out of a planned 500 premium experience centres, designed to bring faster, more convenient service closer to millions of Nigerians.
The new retail outlets, officially unveiled during a symbolic launch at City Mall, Onikan, Lagos, mark the latest phase of Airtel Nigeria’s grand retail strategy.
They significantly expand the company’s extensive network, which comprises over 9,000 exclusive shops across every local government area, more than 350 premium experience centres, and over 73,000 retail partners across major towns and cities nationwide.
Built as compact, high-efficiency touchpoints, the newly launched shops enable subscribers to complete various transactions, including Home Broadband, Fiber, and Outdoor Unit subscriptions; Postpaid plan subscriptions; Enterprise Applications inquiries and subscriptions; and Prepaid services such as SIM registration, data plan purchases, account inquiries, and general support.
Simultaneously, several shops commenced operations at locations across the country, including Purple Mall, Lekki; Marina, Lagos Island; Magodo, Lagos; Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta; Trend Setter Mall, Benin; Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Kano City Mall, Kano; and Carpenters Mall, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
The rollout underscores the company’s continued investment in customer experience and responds directly to feedback from subscribers seeking quicker access to everyday services without the longer wait times associated with larger retail hubs.
Speaking on the company’s retail objectives, Joypratip Sengupta, Director of Sales and Distribution at Airtel Nigeria, explained that a high-quality retail experience ultimately drives customer satisfaction.
“Our goal is to demonstrate our dedication to exceptional quality of service, and these new shops by their design, location, and equipment fit right within our goal to deliver superior service to every one of our customers,” Sengupta said.
He added that the expansion reflects Airtel Nigeria’s belief that excellent customer experience goes beyond technology to ensure customers can receive support whenever and wherever they need it.
“Our business at Airtel is to ensure that we bring our services closer to our customers, and everything we do is centered on putting the customer first. These experience centres are open to help customers carry out their transactions faster and with greater ease. Whether you want to replace a SIM, purchase one of our routers, recharge airtime or data, or resolve any service issue, you can now do so more conveniently and closer to where you are,” he noted.
Sengupta explained that the initiative represents a significant update to Airtel’s retail strategy, placing greater emphasis on accessibility, speed, and convenience.
“These express shops are designed to reduce traffic at our larger shops while giving customers faster access to the services they need. More importantly, they reinforce our vision of building the most accessible customer service network in Nigeria. As the telecom operator with the country’s largest retail footprint, we will continue expanding into more neighborhoods, making it easier for customers to connect with Airtel wherever they are,” he added.
In her remarks at the launch, Lynda Amechi, Head of Shops and Retail Postpaid Business, revealed that the new retail model stemmed from listening to customers and reimagining service delivery.
“At Airtel, some of our best ideas come directly from our customers. One of the recurring concerns we received was the time customers sometimes spent waiting at our larger experience centres, even when they only needed simple transactions completed. We listened carefully and realized that many of these requests could be resolved within minutes if we brought our services closer to the communities where customers live and work,” she said.
These new outlets are integrated into Airtel Nigeria’s broader customer experience agenda, which includes continued investments in digital self-service platforms, AI-powered customer support, nationwide customer forums, and significant network expansion across the country.